Going Down a Different Road
by Providencelover
Summary: Syd and Kyle Moran are married, their lives are about to change for the better. Co written by my friend Christine. Please read and review. PLEASE!!!


Going Down A Different Road   
  
by Providencelover and Christine   
Summary: Syd and Kyle are married, and their lives are about to change.   
  
  
Going Down A Different Road   
  
Sydney Hansen sighed as she climbed out of bed. It was nine o'clock on Saturday, and she was glad she didn't have to go to the clinic. She hadn't been feeling too great and figured she was coming down with the nasty bug that had been going around. Syd walked into the kitchen of her new house. She and Kyle had recently gotten a new house, right after their wedding, directly across the street from the Hansens'. It was small but perfect for her. Syd grabbed the coffee pot and poured some water into it. Then she heard the door slam. Kyle came into the house with the newspaper in his hands.   
"Wow, you're finally up," Kyle said. He kissed her on the top of the head. "I've never known Syd Hansen to sleep till nine o'clock."   
Syd laughed and playfully poked him in the ribs. "I can, and I did. I guess I needed the extra sleep. Plus, I haven't been feeling very well lately."   
"What's wrong?" Kyle asked.   
"Oh, I probably just have that bug that's been going around. That's what you get for being a doctor," Syd said.   
Kyle laughed. "Yeah, true. Well, I gotta go. I promised Robbie I'd help him fix up his apartment."   
Syd nodded. "OK, have fun. I'm going to go over to the house and help Dad watch Samantha. Joanie and Burt took Hannah to the zoo."   
Kyle nodded and headed for the door. "I'll meet you at your Dad's, OK?"   
"OK." Syd finished making the coffee. Then a wave of dizziness swept over her and she leaned against the counter. "Oh, man, I can't get sick."   
  
After Syd got dressed, she walked across the street to the Hansen house. She found Jim in the kitchen with Samantha.   
"Hi, Syd," Jim said.   
"Hey," Syd said. She took Samantha from her father and put her up on her shoulder. "When did Joanie bring her by?"   
"A few minutes ago," Jim replied. "I talked to Kyle. He said you haven't been feeling well."   
"I haven't," Syd said, sitting down at the table with Samantha.   
"Have you eaten anything?'" Jim asked. "I was just about to make breakfast."   
"I'm not hungry," Syd said. Then a wave of nausea swept over her.   
"Syd, are you OK?" Jim asked, concerned.   
"Nauseous," Syd answered.   
"Is it continuous or in waves?" Jim asked.   
"Waves, ones you can surf," Syd said. "I'll be fine, Dad, don't worry."   
"OK, you're the doctor," Jim said.   
Syd sighed. She knew why she was feeling this way, but she wanted to be sure she was certain.   
  
That night, Syd and Joanie were sitting in the living room at Syd's house. Kyle was with Robbie and Jim, having a guys' night out. The girls were watching Samantha and Hannah, who were both asleep in Syd's room.   
"Joanie, I have something to tell you," Syd said.   
"What?" Joanie asked.   
"I've been feeling really sick to my stomach lately, and it's not the just the flu," Syd said. She smiled.   
"Oh my gosh, are you serious?" Joanie asked wide-eyed.   
Syd nodded. "It's not official, but I did a home test today and....."   
Joanie gave her sister a hug. "That is so great. Oh my gosh, have you told Kyle yet?"   
"No, I'm going to let Izzy do a real test on Monday before I tell him. Joanie, please don't tell anyone. I don't want anyone to know till I've had the test, but I had to tell someone."   
Joanie smiled. "Have you and Kyle talked about this?"   
"A little," Syd said. "It's just all so sudden, I don't know what to do."   
"Syd, you have to tell him," Joanie said.   
"I know," Syd said. She smiled. She couldn't wait to deliver the good news to everyone, especially Kyle.   
  
The following Monday, Syd headed for O'Neills, where she'd agreed to meet Kyle for lunch to tell him the wonderful news. Izzy had done a test and Syd had been right, she was pregnant. Syd tried to hide her smile as she walked into O'Neills. She found Kyle sitting at the bar, talking to Robbie.   
"Hey, sis," Robbie said.   
"Hi," Syd said. She kissed Kyle on the cheek and sat down beside him. "Can we go somewhere and talk?"   
'Sure," Kyle said. He got up and followed her to a table. "Is something wrong?"   
"Remember when I told you I was feeling sick?" Syd asked, sitting down at the table.   
"Yeah," Kyle said. He became concerned. "Are you OK?"   
"I'm fine, but we have only nine months of being just the two of us," Syd said. She waited for Kyle's reaction.   
"You mean......" Kyle asked.   
Syd nodded, smiling broadly. "Yes."   
"Oh my gosh, I'm going to be a father!" Kyle said. He got up and hugged Syd.   
"I was hoping you'd react that way, because we still have to break it to the rest of my family," Syd said. "Except for Joanie."   
Kyle nodded. "Let's go tell them right now."   
  
Nine months later:   
  
"Mom, I'm scared," Syd said, facing her mother.   
"I know, dear. But, believe me, it's going to be OK," Lynda said. She stroked her daughter's hair.   
"What if something is wrong?" Syd asked.   
"Syd, you're getting too worked up," Lynda said. "You can do this. Hey, Joanie did it twice."   
"I guess."   
"You'll do fine, dear. And I'll be there with you every step of the way." Lynda gave her daughter one last hug and disappeared.   
  
Syd opened her eyes and found Kyle standing over her.   
"You OK?" Kyle asked.   
Syd nodded. She sighed. "How much longer?"   
"Not long," the nurse said. Then machines starting beeping.   
"What's wrong?" Syd asked, panic in her voice. "Am I off the monitor?"   
The nurse checked Syd. "The baby's heart is dropping, its down to eighty, Syd we have to go in NOW."   
Syd looked up at Kyle with tears in her eyes.   
"It's going to be OK," Kyle said, stroking Syd's forehead.   
"Page Dr. Gregory NOW," the OB nurse said to another nurse.   
The nurse nodded and reached for the phone. "She's waiting for us."   
"Let's go," Christy, the nurse, said. She proceeded to wheel Syd out of the room with Kyle following behind.   
"What's going on?" Joanie asked running down the hall toward the stretcher.   
"The baby's heart is dropping," Syd said.   
"Oh my God," Joanie said.   
"It's OK, Joanie, I'm OK," Syd reassured her sister. "Why don't you go try Elizabeth again?"   
Joanie nodded and squeezed her sister's hand.   
Syd laid back on the pillow and stared at the ceiling as the nurses wheeled her into the OR. She'd been in this OR many times, but she had never actually been a patient there. It scared her.   
"Just relax, Syd," Dr. Gregory told her. "Kyle will be right back, he's scrubbing in."   
Syd nodded. A few seconds later Kyle appeared by her side. Syd looked up at him and laughed. "You look like a doctor."   
"Now I know how you feel when you wear this outfit," Kyle joked.   
Syd nodded. She could hear Dr. Gregory and the nurses talking   
"OK, Dad, tell us what it is," Dr. Gregory said a few minutes later.   
"It's a girl," Kyle said.   
Syd smiled. "Is she OK? Can I see her?"   
Dr. Gregory held the baby out to Syd. "We'll bring her back in a minute, we have to get her weight and all that good stuff. Do you have a name picked out for her?"   
Syd looked at Kyle. "Lilly."   
"She's so small," Kyle said.   
"Dr. Gregory, we need you over here," the OB nurse said.   
Dr. Gregory handed Lilly to another nurse and rushed over to Syd.   
"What's happening?" Syd asked. She could hear their voices and they sounded worried. Syd was an experienced doctor, and she knew that it was never a good sign when a nurse called for a doctor.   
"You're still bleeding. We're paging a surgeon but we've got to stop the bleeding," Dr. Gregory said. "Don't worry, everything is going to be fine." She turned to the nurse. "Page Dr. Talvert."   
"He'll be here in ten minutes," the nurse said.   
"She may not have ten minutes," Dr. Gregory snapped.   
"What's going on?" Syd demanded. She looked over to her left, where a bag was hanging and she knew something was very wrong. She could see blood, her blood dripping through the tubes. "Oh my God, I'm bleeding out."   
She looked up at Kyle in horror, but everything was starting to get hazy.   
Dr. Talvert arrived and began talking with Dr. Gregory and the nurses, but Syd was hardly aware of what was going on. Suddenly, the scene shifted to a sunny day in the park near the Hansen house.  
Lynda was sitting on a bench, smoking as usual. "Remember all the picnics we had here, Syd?"  
Syd, still unsure of how she'd gotten there, shook her head. "Where are we, Mom? It's not Paradise Inn, is it?"  
Lynda laughed. "No, dear. Don't worry, you're going to be fine. I thought you might want a little distraction."   
Syd nodded. "I do remember our picnics." She pointed to the playground, a few feet away. "That's the sandbox where Joanie and I would try to build sandcastles, and that's the slide that Robbie fell off of one day."  
"Three stitches in his chin," Lynda recalled. "What a day. You wanted to help the doctor, but he said he'd done plenty of stitches before." She paused and sighed. "Oh, Syd, I'm so proud of you."   
Syd smiled. "Thanks, Mom."   
"Not only because you're a doctor," Lynda continued, "but because you'll now know what it's like to have a child of your own. You'll go on picnics, just like we did, have wonderful birthday parties, help her choose a dress for prom..."  
"Whoa, slow down, Mom!" Syd exclaimed. "She's not even a day old. Don't go too fast."  
"But that's exactly how it will go," Lynda replied. "Make sure to cherish every moment. You'll see, we'll have much more in common than we ever have before. Like I told you earlier, I promise to be with you every step of the way.  
"Thanks, Mom." Syd gave her mother a hug before she woke up.  
Syd opened her eyes. "Kyle?" she whispered.  
"It's OK. You're just fine, it's all over," her husband reassured her. "There's someone here who wants to see you."  
Syd opened her eyes to see Kyle holding Lilly, the most beautiful baby she'd ever seen.   
  
"Hey, darling," Syd said, taking the baby from Kyle. She cuddled Lilly in her arms, stroking her tiny forehead. Then Lilly started crying. "Shh, it's OK, it's OK."   
"I think she's hungry," Kyle said.   
Syd sighed. "I think the nurse is going to show me how to breast feed."   
"I don't think Lilly knows that," Kyle said.   
Then, the door opened and Joanie came into the room. "Hey! You're awake." Joanie went over to Syd and the baby. "She's soo cute, and she looks exactly like you, too."   
"Yes, and she's hungry," Syd said, a worried expression on her face.   
"I can help you with that," Joanie said. She looks at Kyle and Kyle gets the hint.   
"OK, I'm going," Kyle said. He walked out of the room, leaving the girls alone.   
"Joanie, what would I ever do without you?" Syd asked, looking at her sister.   
"You'd have a very fussy baby," Joanie joked. "OK.....now here's......."   
  
"So, did you get in touch with Elizabeth or Kerry?" Syd asked Joanie an hour later. Everyone had left, leaving Kyle, Syd, Joanie and Lilly alone in the room.   
"No, I couldn't," Joanie said. She gave Lilly back to Syd. "I think she wants her mom."   
"She's definitely going to be a mommy's girl," Kyle said.   
Syd smiled as she looked down at her new daughter. "Please, Joanie, can you call again?"   
"Syd, it's a little after seven. Maybe Elizabeth was in surgery or something," Joanie said.   
Syd sighed. "Joanie, I was a few weeks earlier then expected."   
"OK, OK, Jeez," Joanie said.   
"Sorry," Syd said, giving her sister a look.   
"It's OK," Joanie replied, kissing Lilly on the forehead. "I gotta go, I'm gonna go relieve Tina and Robbie of mom duties for a while."   
"OK," Syd said. "Don't worry, we'll be fine. Tell Hannah hi for me."   
"I will. She wants to come see Lilly," Joanie said. "I'll bring her by tomorrow."   
Syd nodded. She put baby Lilly up on her shoulder.   
  
Providence airport:   
  
"You know, I don't think Syd will feel like entertaining us," Elizabeth said to Mark as they stepped off the plane. "She is nine months pregnant."   
"She'll be fine," Mark said. "Where's Kerry? Why didn't she come on the flight?"   
"She's coming on the next one," Elizabeth said as they made their way to baggage claim.   
"What time do you have to meet that surgeon?" Mark asked.   
"At nine," Elizabeth said. Elizabeth and Mark were in Providence for a meeting with a surgeon who was going to see what was causing all the deaths back at County.   
"I'm sure everything will work out fine," Mark reassured his wife as they grabbed their bags.   
Elizabeth sighed. "I hope so. I think we should stay in a hotel, just so we don't bug Syd."   
"Good plan," Mark said.   
  
Soon, they reached the hotel and rented a room for the next few days. At nine the next morning, Elizabeth went to have a meeting with Dr. Tony, who was doing the tests. The tests and meeting lasted till noon, making Elizabeth exhausted.   
"Why don't we go crash at Syd's house," Mark suggested.   
"Great plan," Elizabeth said.   
They drove to the Hansen house and walked across the street to Syd's. Elizabeth rang the doorbell and waited for someone to answer. After a few minutes no one came to the door.   
"Maybe she isn't home," Mark said. He saw the expression on his wife's face.   
Elizabeth nodded. She hoped Syd was OK.   
They had waited for a few minutes when a car they didn't recognize drove pulled into the driveway. Kyle got out and dug in his pocket for his housekey.  
"Kyle!" Elizabeth called. "We didn't recognize you!"  
"Oh," Kyle laughed. "New car."  
"Is Syd OK? We came over to say hi but no one was home," Elizabeth inquired.  
"She's doing great," Kyle smiled, thinking of baby Lilly. Then he remembered. "You guys don't know, do you? The baby was born earlier today."  
"That's great!" Mark exclaimed, remembering how excited he had been when Ella was born. "Boy or girl?"  
"Girl," Kyle replied. "Her name is Lilly."  
"Lilly. How wonderful!" Elizabeth was thrilled at her friend's good news. "When can we see her?"  
Kyle smiled. "What about now? I'm just here to pick up a few things, then I'm heading back to the hospital.  
"Sounds great," Elizabeth said.  
Back at the hospital, the nurses wheeled Lilly back in the room with Syd. Lilly had gone to have her blood checked and all that stuff.   
"How'd she do?" Syd asked when her daughter was wheeled into the room.   
"She did great!" Joanie said. "She didn't cry with the heel stick. She's brave, just like her mommy."   
Syd smiled. Joanie handed Lilly to her. "Hey, little one." Syd wrapped her up and held her close. "Joanie, when are you going to bring Hannah?"   
"Burt went to get her," Joanie said.   
Then there was a knock at the door, and Kyle came in with Mark and Elizabeth following behind him.   
"I brought two people who are dying to see Lilly," Kyle said.   
Syd looked up, surprised. "Hi! What are you two doing here?"   
"I'm here for some tests to see why I keep killing all my patients," Elizabeth said.   
Syd looked at her, confused.   
"She's soo cute," Elizabeth said.   
"Do you want to hold her?" Syd asked.   
Elizabeth nodded and took Lilly from Syd. She sat down with her and Lilly started crying.   
"When was she born?" Mark asked.   
"At eleven this morning," Kyle said. "But we had some complications."   
Elizabeth looked at Syd. "Like what?"   
"Well, her heart rate started dropping and so they had to do an emergency C-section. Then I started bleeding out."   
  
"Oh, my goodness," Elizabeth exclaimed. She couldn't imagine losing one of her closest friends.  
"I'm OK now," Syd said, noticing the worried look on Elizabeth's face. "We'll be going home in a couple of days. What's this about your patients?"  
Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "It's one big nightmare that keeps getting worse. I've had four post-op patients die of infection, and they think I might have bacteria that's making them sick."  
"That's terrible," Syd replied. "What are you going to do?"   
"The only thing I can do it wait and take all of the tests. Romano won't be letting me near an OR till I've done all of this stuff." Elizabeth sat down in the chair beside the bed. "Just between us, I have a funny feeling about Dr. Babcock. He's worked on each case that's died. It's hard to investigate, though, when Romano is so suspicious of me."  
Two days later, Syd and Lilly were able to come home from the hospital. Syd was still very sore, but wanted to be at home and take care of Lilly and herself there. Hannah was with Syd every moment, wanting to hold Lilly.   
"Is she fussy?" Joanie asked, coming into Lilly's room, where Syd was trying to feed her.   
"It's her fussy time," Syd said. "Is Elizabeth still here?"   
"She's over at the house," Joanie said. "Trying to get in touch with Kerry."   
"Kerry is going to kill me when she finds out no one has called her," Syd said. She looked down at her daughter, who had finally gotten quiet. "Hey, little one. Finally settled down, huh?"   
Joanie smiled. "You're going to make a great mom, Syd."   
Syd smiled. "Thanks."   
Kyle came into the room. "How are my girls?"   
"Your little one is fussy," Joanie said. She headed for the door. "I'm gonna go relieve dad from Hannah."   
Syd laughed. "OK."   
"Call if you need anything."   
"We will, Joanie," Kyle said.   
Joanie walked out of the room.   
"Want me to take her?" Kyle asked.   
"Yeah, I think she's done," Syd said. She handed Lilly to Kyle. "There you go, sweet girl, go to Daddy."   
"You get some rest," Kyle said. He kissed Syd on the cheek and walked out of the room with Lilly.   
In Chicago:  
Kerry's phone rang. It was one of the few days she was at home, having the day off from work. She picked it up. "Hello?"  
"Kerry! It's Elizabeth."   
"Elizabeth? You sound like you're a million miles away. Where'd you go, to the moon?" Kerry was happy to hear her friend's voice.  
"Close," Elizabeth said. "Mark and I are in Providence. We just thought we'd come up for a surprise visit, but we're the ones who got surprised. Syd and Kyle had their baby! It's a girl, and her name is Lilly."  
"Wow, that's great!" exclaimed Kerry. "Doesn't it seem like it was just yesterday that Samantha was born?"  
"No kidding," Elizabeth said. "Mark and I have gone shopping for a baby gift, and it felt so familiar! Do you have any time off, where you could come up and see her?"  
Kerry looked at her calendar. "I'm on tomorrow, but have three days off after that. I'll tell Carter, and we'll catch the next flight."  
Three days later, Kerry and Carter arrived in Providence and went to   
the Hansen house, where Elizabeth and Mark were staying.   
"Hi, Kerry," Joanie said, opening the door. "Elizabeth told us you   
were coming. Syd is upstairs, trying to feed a very fussy baby. I'll tell her   
you're here."   
"Great!" Kerry said. She walked into the living room, where Elizabeth,   
Mark, Jim and Hannah were talking. Hannah was playing with her Barbie camper   
on the floor.   
"Uncle Carter!" Hannah said. She ran to him, and he picked her up.   
"Hi, Hannah," Carter said. "How do you like having a new cousin?"   
"Great," Hannah said.   
Then Syd came into the room with Lilly.   
"Hi, Kerry," Syd said smiling.   
"She's soo cute," Kerry said.   
Syd sat down on the couch with her. "It's her fussy time, she can't   
decide what she wants. Do you want to hold her?"   
"Sure," Kerry said. She took Lilly from Syd. "Hi, little one."   
Lilly started crying.   
"She's fussy, here I'll take her," Syd said taking her daughter from Kerry.   
"She looks exactly like you," Kerry said. "How are you feeling?"   
"I'm feeling really good, considering what I've been through in the last week," Syd answered. "I'm so happy to be home, with Lilly and all of you." She smiled at her friends. "I am so glad you could make it!"  
"Me, too," Kerry answered. "It's an unusual thing that we'd have so many days off in a row."  
"Maybe that's how it was meant to be," Joanie said, smiling.  
"That's right," Elizabeth said.  
Kerry nodded, but she was really thinking about how wonderful it would be to have a baby of her own with Carter. She had thought of it now and then, despite the age difference between them. Things had a way of working out. Maybe they could even adopt a child, she wondered. There were plenty of children that needed a loving home. Kerry herself had once been one of them.  
Gently nudging her wandering thoughts aside, Kerry concentrated on enjoying her visit with Syd. Just as Joanie had said, things were meant to be. She couldn't wait to discover what her destiny with Carter could turn out to be.  
The End 


End file.
